New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-23
-.
GRANT AND GLADSTONE.
ny GENERAL ADAM BADEAU.
aOw THEY BROUGHT ABOUT INTERNAL
TIONAL ARBITRATION.
Copyright 1887.

houbtless remarked by the British Cabinet, anu
IN the autumn when l returned TO Washington,
/ received letter from Lord HalliaX, so luli Vi
eignilicance that | laid it before the fresluehV
md Mr. Fish IL was followed by Others, all
breathing the kindest spirit on the part OF the
English authorities. My answers were suohlI'cu
10 the President and when returned To Enelahu
the next year l told Lord HalliaX thao hao
shown his letters to General Grant. lie admillcu
that they had been written in the hope that
thew would be seen by him and his Government.
About this time also | wrote on article on "Our
Relations with England" which appeared slnui-
tancousy in "lIarper's Magazine in New hor>
Ind Macmillan's" in London. This paper bearing
the signature Of an officer at the Executive Man
zion who had so recently served IN the American
Legation al London, was recognized as salictloheu
nv tho Administration. II was OF course read
,n advance by both the President and the Secre-
tayy of State. and was intended to indicate the
good feeling of Grants Government and It's desire
for amicabe relations with England.
1t had indeed become very desirable that tms
Feeling should be generally known both because
pf the rejection Of the Clarendon-Johnson treaty
In Aprl and the effect Of Mr. Summers speech &c
handing consequential damages; as we'll as De
ca,lse Of what only those in interior circles
knew the purport of Motley's first commuhicf"
lion TO tho British Foreign Cdicc. IL was also
Important to neutralize Motleys outg1vlngs In SO
piety for during the winter word was brousho from
several sources to the State Department thai inc
tone of the Minister'S conversations was al
Variance with his Instructions
In the first months Of Grants ADMINISTRATION
Sir John Rose, then the Canadian Premier, was
I'm Washington, acting as commissioner uhder
previous treaty to settle certain disputed points
nv,1 Ia
this international character he often met the Sec
rotary Of State Fish from the first had conceived
the idea of an arrangement between the two coun
tries almost identical with that which in the end
WAS arrived at On this account, perhaps, ne was
all tho more dissatisfied with Moucy's course
Though be bore with him until it became lndls
pensable to appoint q successor.
In conversation with Rose, who was shrewd
long headed man. the idea was thrown out that
an accommodation of the differences De
tween the two countries might be prac-
ticable Fish said that England had on two
occasions shown great tact and even wisdom, IN
sending special ENJOYS to negotiate with The
United States; that the Americans had been
pleased by the compliment and especially grail
fled by the selection of Lord Ashburton and Lord
Flpin as plenipotentiaries. Not, he said, that
Americans thought more Of lords than OF other
men, but they knew that the English did, and
that therefore 1t was O compliment for the Eng
lish Government to send q peer to Washington
Rose took the Secretary's idea at once and
then Fish developed the points on
which he thought the two Governments might
agree. He said he was sure that an expression
of regret on the part Of England for the escape
of the Alabama would be indispensable. He was
the last man, he declared, who would consent to
90 hie or1t no losf
to ask of another statesman what he would
refuse himself under similar circumstances; but
this he thought England might concede. and the
weight of the copcession In the subsequent dis
eussiOns would be enormous. He also suggested
arbitration, and indicated the line on which he
thought the negotiations might proceed. Rose left
for England shortly afterward and soon returned,
armed with authority to discuss more definitely
the informal propositions he had conveyed He
was in America in the autumn and early winter
Of 1870 for this purpose The four letters pro
posing the Joint High Commission, which were
afterward published with the treaty, were drawn
up and signed by him and Fish They were dated
50 as to give the appearance Of the compact
having been made i'll the usual way, between the
envoy and the State Department but the ar
ransements were in reality those of Fish and
Rose
Rose returned to England, and Immediately
aflcrward Lord dc Grey, Sir Stafford Northcotc
and Montague Bernard, Professor Of
international law at Oxford university
together with Sir John Macdonald, at
that time Canadian Premier, and Sir Edward
Thornton, appointed commissioners on the
part OF Great Britain to settle all outstanding diff
ficultics with the United States. Fish had sug
gested that Rose should be Of the commission
els but Rose thought he could do better service III
London. II was also al one time proposed that
John Bright should Join the British representa-
tivcs but to this Fish objected, BECAUSE he said,
Bright was so committed TO the American view
that his action would have less weight in England
Lord de Grey a member Of Gladstone Cabi
net, and Northcote, afterward Lord lddesleigh, be
longed to the Opposition The American commits
sioners the Secretary Of State, General
scbenclx the newly appointed Minister TO England.
Judge Nelson of the Supreme Court "a Dem0craty.
eX-AttOrney General HOar, and AtorneyGeneral
Williams, the actual law officer Of the Govern
ment. IL was at this juncture that the Admins
tration requested its friends in the Senate 10 Sc
ect another chairman for the Committee on For
eign Affairs as Summers mpracticable doctrines
well his refusal TO speak to either the Prcsf
dent the Secretary of State, made the treaty an
mpossibility II he remained in the place Sum
ner removed, and the negotiations proceeded
successfully. In less than three months the British
commissioners returned to London, carrying the
treaty with them.
had been sent TO Spain by the State Depart
ment during the winter and il was while i was
absent That the British Commissioners started for
America. After Motleys removal there
American Minister in London until Schenclz should
arrive, but the Secretary Of Legation, Mr. Moran,
was acting Charge d'Ahaires My own position
was thi Of Consul General, entirely without diplo
matte functions and without any right to know the
secrets OF the Legation. Moran, therefore, though
my personal friend, very properly did not com
municate to me what going on but soon
returned from Spain Lord Halifax called on
me and told me of the negotiations He had me
at his country house, and afterward made dinner
i'll town that might have the opportunity of meet
Ing Mr. Gladstone. The Prime Minister then com
municated TO his views on several Of the points
at issue lie particularly desired to indicate his
anxiety for the Of the negotiations and his
intention TO do all In his power to further this end